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Mediaman_12 · Mar 20, 2004, 09:28 AM

I have ShapeShifter 1.2 installed, and have tried a few themes that are supposed to include app skins (iStyle, GarageBand, Chosenos V2 etc.) but non of the apps are changing.
Do the apps have to be loose in the Applications folder for the AppSkins to work?

swiz · Mar 20, 2004, 09:37 AM

Originally posted by Mediaman_12:
I have ShapeShifter 1.2 installed, and have tried a few themes that are supposed to include app skins (iStyle, GarageBand, Chosenos V2 etc.) but non of the apps are changing.
Do the apps have to be loose in the Applications folder for the AppSkins to work?

Not sure but I would think so.

bOOzo · Mar 20, 2004, 09:56 AM

It should not matter where the apps are located, ShapeShifter uses a smart method of identifying where and what version of the app that is running.
I would suggest you try reapplying the theme, logging out and back in or something like that.

mrfrost · Mar 20, 2004, 10:18 AM

Don't forget to relaunch the apps.

Patcarla · Mar 20, 2004, 11:41 AM

Originally posted by bOOzo:
It should not matter where the apps are located, ShapeShifter uses a smart method of identifying where and what version of the app that is running.
I would suggest you try reapplying the theme, logging out and back in or something like that.

Could be but I couldn't get any safari skin applied until I took safari out of my "internet apps "folder and put it directly in the Application folder. Now everything is fine

NetworkShadow · Mar 20, 2004, 12:15 PM

Strange, I'd think SS would be smarter than that.

benign · Mar 20, 2004, 01:23 PM

SS should have an option not to install extra app skins.

This is a huge developmental oversight.

NetworkShadow · Mar 20, 2004, 01:27 PM

Originally posted by benign:
SS should have an option not to install extra app skins.

This is a huge developmental oversight.

I wouldn't say huge, but you've got a goob point.

benign · Mar 20, 2004, 03:37 PM

Originally posted by NetworkShadow:
I wouldn't say huge, but you've got a goob point.

Exasperation is not having an option.
Exaggeration is nine-tenths of goob.

smeger · Mar 20, 2004, 06:37 PM

ShapeShifter should be able to find your apps wherever they are. Basically, if Launch Services can find the app, ShapeShifter can too. What this means is that if double-clicking a document doesn't open up the app and open the document within it, ShapeShifter won't be able to theme it.

If you have multiple copies of the app installed, SS might find the wrong one (this includes having one in the Trash). "Find" is your friend here.

Some things to try: Get Info on a document that belongs to whatever app you're having problems with. From the Open With section, choose the app. Make sure it's the default.

If you're having real problems, you could try deleting you Launch Services plist from your home directory's Preferences folder. Be aware, though, that this will restore all document-to-app mappings to their defaults, so this is a pretty drastic fix.

One final gotcha: ShapeShifter maps the path for an application skin to an absolute path when you apply the theme. This means that if you apply the theme, then quit the app, move it, and relaunch it, it won't be themed until you reapply the theme and then relaunch the app. This is done for speed, and I don't plan to change this behavior.

If you keep having problems, hit Unsanity's tech support - that's what it's there for.

smeger · Mar 20, 2004, 06:40 PM

Originally posted by benign:
SS should have an option not to install extra app skins.

There have been a few people wanting this, and I don't really get it. Why would you want your apps not to blend with the theme when the theme creator has put particular effort into making the whole thing a harmonious experience? To me, that's like saying "I want my computer to look cool and I REALLY want there to be certain ugly things that stick out like a sore thumb! Kewl!"

Can you explain it to me? I'd be more likely to implement such a thing if it made some sense to me.

digitaljames · Mar 20, 2004, 06:45 PM

Originally posted by smeger:
There have been a few people wanting this, and I don't really get it. Why would you want your apps not to blend with the theme when the theme creator has put particular effort into making the whole thing a harmonious experience? To me, that's like saying "I want my computer to look cool and I REALLY want there to be certain ugly things that stick out like a sore thumb! Kewl!"

Can you explain it to me? I'd be more likely to implement such a thing if it made some sense to me.

Lets say Joe Blow makes Theme A, he bundles icons he's created to match the theme. I personally think that Judy Blow's icons look better than the included ones so I want the option to change them. Maybe just make it part of the Per App settings pane?

NetworkShadow · Mar 20, 2004, 08:01 PM

I think the SS interface is going to have to have a huge advanced section eventually.

smeger · Mar 20, 2004, 08:54 PM

Originally posted by digitaljames:
Lets say Joe Blow makes Theme A, he bundles icons he's created to match the theme. I personally think that Judy Blow's icons look better than the included ones so I want the option to change them. Maybe just make it part of the Per App settings pane?

I was just talking about app skins. I agree with you completely regarding stuff like icons, mix'n'match is essential.

JellyBeen · Mar 20, 2004, 09:00 PM

Originally posted by smeger:
There have been a few people wanting this, and I don't really get it. Why would you want your apps not to blend with the theme when the theme creator has put particular effort into making the whole thing a harmonious experience? To me, that's like saying "I want my computer to look cool and I REALLY want there to be certain ugly things that stick out like a sore thumb! Kewl!"

Can you explain it to me? I'd be more likely to implement such a thing if it made some sense to me.

Although we all agree that the mac experience should be a simple and elegante one, giving us more options will ultimatly give us more control and creativity.
Make it part of an Advanced Tab perhaps.

My two cents.

quandarry · Mar 20, 2004, 09:03 PM

i don't want my apps skinned. i don't get your point smeger. listen to the users and not the theme creators. they are egotistical by nature.

justinp · Mar 20, 2004, 09:09 PM

The option to turn it off could go hand-in-hand with the option of selecting from more than one application theme in a single variant.

swiz · Mar 20, 2004, 09:30 PM

Originally posted by quandarry:
i don't want my apps skinned. i don't get your point smeger. listen to the users and not the theme creators. they are egotistical by nature.

This is very true.

cloudaj · Mar 20, 2004, 09:40 PM

i don't see why you wouldn't want themes skinned either. But perhaps rather than an option themers could just release a full version and a "lite" version of the themes. Seems like a better fit because the shapeshifter pref pane is already crowded without trying to fit more stuff in.

smeger · Mar 22, 2004, 01:14 PM

Okay, turns out there was an insidious little bug in ThemePark that's causing your problems. The issue was that ThemePark was exporting it's internal-representation full filesystem path into the guiKit file, instead of telling the guiKit file, "this is an app and might move somewhere else" as it was supposed to.

I've got a fix ready. It consisted of changing "if ( fileSystemPath )" to "if ( ! localFileSystemPath )". Damn it.

Since the guiKit files contain the wrong info, the fix won't work until the guiKit file has been re-exported from ThemePark by the theme's author. So, theme developers, you might want to get ready to do a re-export and bump your version numbers by .01.

I'm speaking geek right now - the translation is "it'll just magically start working as you update stuff".

cgc · Mar 24, 2004, 10:19 AM

I also do not want Safari, iTunes, or anything else skinned without my permission. iTunes, for example, under Rhapsody looks like gnarl. I'd prefer to use Rhapsody but not skin iTunes. It's like using CandyBar and elements from a few icontainers to suit MY tastes.

FB Eye · Mar 24, 2004, 10:55 AM

In my case, even tho the themer has put alot of work into his Safari skin, I sometimes don't like the look of the skin for some reason. On the other hand, I have a skin that fits most of the themes no matter what they are or look like. So yes, in this case, I would like the option to disable Safari skinning in SS and use Safaricon to install my personnal favorite instead...

It's all about flexibility I suppose...